German Culture

All about Germany

Altena Castle – World’s First Hostel

Altena Castle (Burg Altena) is a Medieval hill castle in the town of Altena in North Rhine-Westphalia. Built on a spur of Klusenberg hill, the castle lies near the Lenne in the Märkischer Kreis. The castle was erected by the early Counts of Berg in the early 12th century. Eventually, the House of Berg abandoned Altena and moved their residence … [Read more...]

Karl Drais, the Bicycle and Typewriter Inventor

Karl Freiherr von Drais (born on 29 April 1785 in Karlsruhe – died on 10 December 1851 in Karlsruhe as well) was a German forest official and significant inventor in the Biedermeier period. Drais was a prolific inventor, who invented the Laufmaschine ("running machine"), also later called the Velocipede, Draisine (English) or draisienne (French), … [Read more...]

Kalbsvögerl – “Little Veal Birds”!

Kalbsvögerl, literally "little veal birds", are small veal roulades with herbal spicy stuffing. Perfect to enjoy with mashed potatoes or Spätzle. Ingredients: 8 thinly cut veal steaks (100 g each) 2 spring onions 1/2 bunch of parsley 2 stems thyme and marjoram 1 (about 125 g) coarse, uncooked bratwurst 1 tbsp flour 1 bunch of soup … [Read more...]

Carl von Linde Who Gave the World the Refrigerator

Carl von Linde was a German engineer (born on June 11, 1842 – died on November 16, 1934). Linde was best known for his refrigeration and gas separation technologies. Carl von Linde was the first person to extract oxygen gas from the air, making it a commercially viable product and thus launching the industrial gas industry. He also developed modern … [Read more...]

Kölner Dom – Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Begun in 1248, the construction of this … [Read more...]

Räuberfleisch

Räuberfleisch is easy and quick to prepare, yet far from fast food. Guten Appetit! Ingredients: 2 paprika 8 champignons 1 onions 8 pickled cucumbers 4 tbsp tomato paste 800 g pork gulasch pepper ground paprika 4 garlic Preparation: Chop the peppers, mushrooms, gherkins and onions. Lay out a deep plate with aluminum … [Read more...]

Hohenzollern Castle – A Fairy-Tale Hilltop Castle

Swabian counts and princes, the kings of Prussia and even the German emperors have their roots here at Hohenzollern Castle in the heart of Baden-Württemberg between Lake Constance, the Black Forest and Stuttgart. The proud fortress offers majestic panoramic views stretching over more than 100 km which already prompted Emperor William II to … [Read more...]

Schloss Bürresheim – a Medieval Castle in the Woodlands

The castle of Bürresheim is located at northwest of Mayen on a rock spur in the Nettetal. It belongs to the local church Sankt Johann. Together with Burg Eltz and the castle Lissingen, it is one of the few castles in the Eifel that were never conquered or devastated and were able to survive unscathed the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries as well … [Read more...]

Castle Stein in Saxony

Stein Castle, or Burg Stein is a Saxon castle located southeast of Zwickau in the village of Stein in the municipality of Hartenstein on the banks of the Zwickauer Mulde. The settlement of the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) began in the 12th/13th centuries, especially along the rivers. River crossings and religious orders (Niederlassungen) were … [Read more...]